The Commander of Region 7 Police announced the arrest of the suspect who robbed a gold shop in a well-known Nakhon Pathom mall, seizing 23 gold bars valued at over 3.5 million baht. The suspect claimed he committed the crime because of online gambling debts.
At 16:30 on 14 March 2026, Police Lieutenant General Phisit Tanprasert, Commander of Region 7 Police, along with Police Major General Chomchawin Purathananon, Deputy Commander for Suppression, and Police Major General Pitak Upphong, Commander of Nakhon Pathom Provincial Police, together with investigative teams from Nakhon Pathom Provincial Police and Nakhon Pathom City Police, held a press conference announcing the arrest of the suspect who, armed with a pistol, robbed a gold shop inside a department store branch in Nakhon Pathom. The suspect took 23 gold bars, each weighing 2 baht, valued at over 3.5 million baht. He fired the gun to threaten staff before fleeing on a motorcycle parked in front of the mall. The incident occurred on 11 March 2026 at 19:30, as previously reported.
After the incident, police integrated efforts to track the suspect’s route using CCTV footage from the department store and nearby streets but found no leads. Subsequently, they ordered officers to check CCTV within a 50-kilometer radius and requested cooperation from neighboring provincial police to assist in the investigation.
Investigations identified a suspect resembling the perpetrator, who was seen riding a motorcycle leaving Phetkasem Road in front of the mall, traveling toward Nakhon Chai Si District, then returning toward the city and onward to Ratchaburi Province before circling back to Nakhon Pathom city. The suspect stopped for a meal at a night market near the Nakhon Pathom City Hall. This route could lead toward Phraprotone-Banphaeo Road in Samut Sakhon Province. However, while the suspect’s motorcycle had no license plate, the motorcycle of the person under suspicion bore a license plate, though the bike was the same gray-black color.
Upon checking the motorcycle’s registration, the owner was identified as Mr. Somchai Chumhirun, 55, residing in Laksam Subdistrict, Ban Phaeo District, Samut Sakhon Province. Investigation teams from Nakhon Pathom Provincial Police and Nakhon Pathom City Police conducted surveillance to verify if a man matching the description of the gold shop robber was at the residence. They found Mr. Somchai at home with a gray-black motorcycle parked beneath the house. They then obtained a search warrant from Nakhon Pathom Court at 08:00 on 14 March 2026 and executed a search. Inside the house, police found a white and black checkered long-sleeve shirt, a 9 mm black gun loaded and stored in a gun case, shoes, and a helmet used in the crime. The helmet was originally covered with black stickers during the incident but revealed a dark blue color underneath. These items were hidden in various places around the house and in the trash bin.
Initially, the suspect denied involvement, but when police submitted the items for forensic examination at the Region 7 Science Division, fingerprints collected from the crime scene matched those of the suspect. Police detained him and pressed for the stolen gold’s whereabouts. A thorough search of the house revealed all 23 stolen gold bars, each weighing 2 baht, concealed inside a 1-liter engine oil can with a tightly sealed lid, hidden under a bed. Upon opening, it was confirmed the gold bore the store’s official stamp on the hooks. The suspect was taken for interrogation at Nakhon Pathom Provincial Police before the press conference. The suspect declined to reveal his identity publicly.
In preliminary questioning, Police Lieutenant General Phisit Tanprasert stated that the suspect confessed to acting alone. One day before the robbery, he had scouted the mall’s gold shops, noting that the Aurora gold shop lacked security guards unlike neighboring shops and mostly employed female staff. Just before closing time, the shop was not busy. On the day of the crime, he ate at the night market near the Nakhon Pathom City Hall to wait for the right time. He then rode his motorcycle to the mall, waiting until police officers who had signed in left, and seeing the area clear, he proceeded with the robbery. He fled on his motorcycle, avoiding returning home immediately to prevent his wife from finding out. He drove around multiple times until 04:00 before returning home to hide the items. He confessed he committed the crime due to online gambling debts and repeated threats from creditors. He intended to sell the gold to clear his debts but was apprehended by police before he could do so.
Following the confession, police charged the suspect with nighttime robbery, involving causing damage to barriers protecting persons or property or using such means to unlawfully enter, disguising or concealing identity to avoid recognition, and using a vehicle to facilitate the crime or transport stolen goods to evade arrest.